The Last Bazaar

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

Hayden chased after Robert Price and his CIA entourage, hatred and payback on her mind.

“Price!” she cried, as she neared the group. “I see you. You’re about to get yours, asshole!”

The Secretary of Defense swiveled his head as he ran, stumbling a little, but betrayed no emotion upon seeing her face. That had surely come when Ramses’ men had led her toward certain death in the caiman pit. Now, where would he go? They had seen his face.

“Be careful now,” Kinimaka said from behind. “Guy’s a snake. He’ll have a plan as slippery as himself.”

They followed the same small path as Price and the four men who shadowed him, their number now complemented by two of Ramses’ own guards. Hayden expected one of them to drop and start firing at any moment, but they continued arrow-straight on their path. After a few more minutes Kenzie spoke up.

“I know where they’re going. The same village I used as a base. Maybe they have some hidden transport around there.”

Smyth nodded. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but that makes sense. Out of interest, do you have any transport?”

“Fuck you, dude. That’d be telling.”

Smyth raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. Hayden reflected that a heads-up from Drake or Alicia would have been nice, but understood events had happened much too fast. They would have to be careful with this Kenzie. It was somewhat telling that she’d chosen to run with the group that didn’t know her.

Hayden saw the trees thin out up ahead, and a pair of localized buildings appear. Two trucks and a ruined bus gave more insight into Kenzie’s camp. She raised her gun as Price and his sentinels ran straight through the middle of the wide clearing.

“Stop, I have a shot. Stop right there.”

Now, one of the guards did drop and turn, rifle already aimed. He squeezed off a bullet that whickered by Kinimaka’s girth, and disappeared into the forest. Smyth fired back on the run, bullets spraying the ground around the prone man. Rolling, he discharged another round, but this went awry, tearing toward the clouds. Smyth picked him off with two well-placed shots. Hayden lined up Price in her sights, deciding not to warn him again.

A CIA agent flung himself at the boss, displaying great instinct, just as Hayden pulled her trigger. Both men went flying across the rutted ground. All the other agents now turned and began to lay down cover fire. The SPEAR team scattered.

Lethal, tiny missiles crisscrossed the clearing, thudding against ancient bark and clanging off rusting metal. Hayden popped her head up and kept firing, sure that Price would be ordering the agents to keep moving. There was nowhere for him to go anymore but forward for the rest of his life.

Agents scrambled back as they fired, kicking up dirt and leaves, their faces made even harsher by the black designer sunglasses they wore. Kinimaka crawled away to the left, looking to flank Price’s position, but then their quarry started running again, away from Kenzie’s camp.

“Where are they going?” Hayden asked the black-haired woman.

“Don’t know and don’t really care.” Kenzie looked bored.

“Well, how did you get to here?”

“Jeeps.” Kenzie nodded at the ruined trucks. “Which your Drake kindly blew up.”

Hayden once more wondered how on earth she’d somehow saddled this pony. Drake had to be laughing up his sleeve.

“Okay guys. Move.”

They took off again, hampered by the dangerous forest floor. Ruts, knotted trees and waterlogged earth lay everywhere. As they ran, the single remaining guard turned and hurled an object at them, something he’d no doubt purloined from the bazaar.

“Grenade!” Smyth shouted.

Into the undergrowth they leapt, head first. A great tree stump offered protection. Scrambling around it they sought cover, and the metallic bomb exploded. Fragments shredded the vegetation, ripping through the jungle and shredding all in their path. Hayden held her breath as the blast went past then, feeling no wounds, rose to her feet.

“We okay? All right, c’mon. That bastard’s still running.”

As they closed in on Price’s group they reloaded and regrouped, forming a tight position. Even Kenzie stuck with it, seeing the best chance of success. Price himself continued to glance over his shoulder, eyes wild and rolling. Hayden nodded with grim satisfaction. This is what justice looks like.

Then they passed a high rock cluster, a trickling waterfall and leapt over a wide stream. As Price was practically carried around a smooth rock the man abruptly vanished. Then the next CIA agent performed the same disappearing act and finally the guard. Hayden pulled up short and approached the area with caution.

“An entrance,” she said as they crouched among the trees. “See? Behind that rock.”

Kenzie let out a low whistle. “Before I came here, on receiving the invite, I researched this area, as you know. Something I am very good at. There were whispers of a hidden CIA station, a cave system where they’re stashing an incredible cache from weapons to drugs and stolen works of art. Even I doubted it was real. But this…” she tailed off.

“Cave system?” Smyth eyed the hole dubiously. “Any idea where it goes?”

“Down,” Kenzie said. “Definitely down.”

“Wiseass. So c’mon, what are we waiting for?”

Hayden eyed the seemingly unguarded entrance. “Relax, Smyth, and let’s take this steady. I’ve seen one too many traps on this trip already.”

Kenzie now rounded on the ex-CIA agent, a challenge in her face. “That reminds me. How did you people end up getting caught? The Alicia bitch didn’t look too happy about it and Drake and the beautiful Swede seemed mighty upset.”

Hayden hefted her rifle and cinched tight her belt. “Communications surveillance,” she said quietly. “It’s superior to what we imagined. I placed a call to DC — they traced the call back to me.”

“It’s everywhere these days,” Kenzie agreed. “Imagine my dilemma, having to smuggle stolen artifacts around the world.”

“That’s what you do?” Lauren asked, then shrugged. “Nice.”

Yorgi stared at her. “I’m quite sure I have heard of you,” he said. “Didn’t you cross the Samoan Cartel once? And they’re still looking for you?”

“Ha. The Samoan Cartel couldn’t find their way out of Mexico if they found a map to Tijuana. They’re old school.”

“But stone cold killers.”

Kenzie shrugged it off.

“We underestimated these people and we paid the price,” Hayden said. “Maybe the CIA were involved in monitoring the airways and reporting to Ramses. From what we’ve seen so far, it wouldn’t be a stretch.”

Kinimaka rose carefully, a great shadow and now a legend of the rainforest. “I can’t see jack inside that entrance. We’re losing valuable time here, guys.”

Hayden walked ahead. “Don’t worry. One way or another Robert Price and all his cronies are gonna be on a plane to DC tonight. Whether it’s in cuffs or a black bag is entirely up to him.”